2010 Petitions are IN: A Political Summary

Written by Roberta Biros

Tuesday, March 9th was the last day to file nomination petitions in Pennsylvania. Individuals wishing to run as a major party candidate needed to gather a pre-determined number of signatures in order for their names to appear on the Primary Ballot in May for their respective parties. There are several state-wide and regional races of note, and the candidates in those races are numerous. All of the petitions that were filed are listed HERE for your review.

U.S. Senator

In the race for US Senator, three Democrats will fight for Arlen Specter’s seat.

SPECTER, ARLEN
SESTAK, JOE
VODVARKA, JOSEPH

In the Republican race for US Senator, two Republicans will battle it out for the opportunity to take Arlen Specter’s seat.

TOOMEY, PAT
LUKSIK, PEG

Details:

The candidates in the race for US Senator were required to gather 2000 signatures on their petitions, and they needed to submit a $200.00 filing fee for the privilege of running for office.

My Comments:

We are all looking forward to seeing Arlen Specter lose. At this point it is a matter of whether he loses in the Primary or in the General Election. I wish I had a preference, but I do not. Anytime will be a good time to see Arlen Specter retire.

Pennsylvania Governor

In the race for Governor, four Democrats are taking on the challenge to fill Ed Rendell’s very capable shoes (that was a joke, of course).

WAGNER, JACK
ONORATO, DAN
HOEFFEL, JOSEPH
WILLIAMS, ANTHONY HARDY

On the Republican side, there are two options for the Republican Gubernatorial candidate.

CORBETT, TOM
ROHRER, SAMUEL

Details:

The candidates that wished to run for the office of Governor of Pennsylvania were required to gather 2000 signatures and pay a $200.00 filing fee. The 2000 signatures needed to include at least 100 signatures from each of at least 10 counties.

My Comments:

I have favorites from both the Republican and Democrat tickets in this race. For the Democrats, I have a special respect and admiration for Jack Wagner. I like Jack and I feel that he would make a fine Governor. In the Republican column, I am a fan of Sam Rohrer. In 2009, I published my own “Directory of Fiscally Conservative PA Legislators”. The list was based on the participation of the legislators in specific fiscally conservative events. Representative Rohrer faired very well in my unscientific poll, and, therefore, tops my list of preferred candidates.

Representative in Congress, 3rd District

To focus more closely on the Northwest Region of Pennsylvania, I’d like to discuss the race for Representative in Congress in the 3rd District.

On the Democrat ticket, current incumbent, Congresswoman Kathy Dahlkemper has an opponent.

DAHLKEMPER, KATHY
MARIN, MEL

On the Republican ticket, six candidates have stepped up to send Mrs. Dahlkemper back home to Erie.

FRANZ, ED
KELLY, MIKE
HUBER, PAUL
GRABB, CLAYTON
FISHER, STEVEN
MOORE, MARTHA

Details:

Candidates running for the much coveted position of Representative in Congress needed to collect 1000 signatures and pay a $150.00 filing fee.

My Comments:

First, I’m very excited to see that Mrs. Dahlkemper has a Democrat opponent. I wish Mel Marin the best of luck.

The field of six Republicans is interesting. I’m impressed by two of the Republican candidates. Steven Fisher seems very intelligent and hard-working. I had a brief email conversation with him last week regarding the recent problems within Mrs. Dahlkemper’s office (read the full story HERE, and I will publish details regarding Mr. Fisher’s comments within the next week). Mr. Fisher was quick to personally respond to my query, and I respect that in any one that is seeking a position in public service. I’ve also had the pleasure of meeting with candidate Ed Franz. Mr. Franz was kind enough to devote time to a personal discussion with me at a meet and greet earlier this week. Mr. Franz is also a hard worker, and he seems to have the best interests of the people of the 3rd District in the correct perspective. Candidates Kelly, Huber, Grabb, and Moore have not responded to my personal queries. I, therefore, cannot offer a positive testimonial regarding their ability to serve the people of my congressional district.

2010 Election in Mercer County decided by Petitions

As a resident and concerned citizen of Mercer County, I always attempt to focus on the races that directly impact our local area. Unfortunately, it appears that ALL of the races for Senator and Representatives in the General Assembly have already been determined.

Senator in the General Assembly, 50th

Incumbent Senator Bob Robbins (R) was simply required to receive 500 signatures and pay a $100 filing fee to guarantee is re-election. At this point it appears that he will have NO opponent. The Mercer County Incumbent Party wins this election by a landslide (based on 500 signatures and $100).

Representative in the General Assembly, 7th

Incumbent Representative Mark Longietti (D) was simply required to receive 300 signatures and pay a $100 filing fee to guarantee re-election. At this point it appears that he will have NO opponent. The Mercer County Incumbent Party wins this election by a landslide (based on 300 signatures and $100).

Representative in the General Assembly, 8th

Incumbent Representative Dick Stevenson (R) was simply required to receive 300 signatures and pay a $100 filing fee to guarantee re-election. At this point it appears that he will have NO opponent. The Mercer County Incumbent Party wins this election by a landslide (based on 300 signatures and $100).

Are you seeing the trend here? Well, it wouldn’t be complete unless . . . yes . . .

Representative in the General Assembly, 17th

Incumbent Representative Michele Brooks (R) was simply required to receive 300 signatures and pay a $100 filing fee to guarantee re-election. At this point it appears that he will have NO opponent. The Mercer County Incumbent Party wins this election by a landslide (based on 300 signatures and $100).

But does it stop there? Oh Gosh NO.

Member of the Democrat State Committee (43rd)

Mark Longietti (State Rep.) and Liz Fair (Mercer County Prothonotary) will again both run against no other candidates for the two seats. 100 signatures each and a $25 filing fee allows the two of them to walk into the positions unopposed. The Mercer County Incumbent Party wins this election by a landslide.

Member of the Republican State Committee (43rd)

Cindy Robbins (wife of State Senator, and chairwoman of the Mercer County Incumbent Party), Walter Richardson (husband of Mercer County Treasurer, and husband of the co-chairwoman of the Mercer County Incumbent Party), and Scott Boyd (newcomer and Tea Party organizer) will all run together with no other challengers for the three seats. 100 signatures each and a $25 filing fee allows the three of them to walk into the positions unopposed. The Mercer County Incumbent Party wins two seats and will do everything that they can to discourage all activity by Scott Boyd.

My Comments:

Once again, no one in Mercer County (with the exception of Scott Boyd) wants to step up to challenge the Mercer County Incumbent Party. Democrats are watching the backs of Republicans, and Republicans are watching the backs of Democrats. In the end, the incumbents run unopposed and everything remains business as usual in Mercer County.

I would be remiss if I did not point out that it is NOT TOO LATE to challenge the incumbents. If you have the nerve, it is possible to run against Senator Bob Robbins and Representatives Stevenson, Longietti, and Brooks. “How?”, you ask.

Third party, minority party candidates, and non-affiliated candidates can run for ANY of these offices. To do so, interested parties need to file nomination papers by early August. Until that time, interested candidates would need to begin gathering signatures in the quantities required by the State. That number is calculated by determining “2% of the largest entire vote cast for an elected candidate at the last election within the district”. Those numbers are computed below:

To run against State Senator Bob Robbins, third party candidates must gather 826 signatures in 6 months (41,302 x .02).

To run against Representative Mark Longietti, third party candidates must gather 519 signatures in 6 months (25,941 x .02).

To run against Representative Dick Stevenson, third party candidates must gather 488 signatures in 6 months (24,389 x .02).

To run against Representative Michele Brooks, third party candidates must gather 337 signatures in 6 months (16,844 x .02).

Races of Note from a Conservative Perspective

As I referenced earlier in this article, in 2009 I published my own “Directory of Fiscally Conservative PA Legislators”. The list was based on the participation of the legislators in specific fiscally conservative events. The full list can be viewed HERE.

I decided to take a look at the list to see how our conservative legislators are doing in their respective races this year. Of the legislators that are on the list, the following are considered the MOST FISCALLY CONSERVATIVE by my rankings. I’ve also noted the status of their political races this year:

Bradley Roae (6th) – running unopposed in November

Daryl Metcalfe (12th)* -- will have a Democrat opponent in November, but Rep. Metcalfe is also running for the office of Lt. Governor

Michele Brooks (17th)* -- running unopposed in November

Mike Turzai (28th)* -- will have a Democrat opponent in November.

Thomas Creighton (37th)* -- will have a Republican opponent in the Primary.

Scott Hutchinson (64th)* -- running unopposed in November

Kathy Rapp (65th)* -- running unopposed in November

Jerry Stern (80th)* -- running unopposed in November

Rob Kauffman (89th) – running unopposed in November

Todd Rock (90th) ) – running unopposed in November

Dan Moul (91st)* )* -- will have a Democrat opponent in November.

Stanley Saylor (94th)* -- will have a Democrat opponent in November.

Rosemarie Swanger (102nd) -- will have a Republican opponent in the Primary.

Karen Boback (117th) -- will have a Democrat opponent in November.

Samuel Rohrer (128th) – running for the office of Governor of Pennsylvania.

Jim Cox (129th) – running unopposed in November

Paul Clymer (145th) -- will have a Democrat opponent in November.

Bob Mensch (147th) – running for the office of State Senator.

Curt Schroder (155th)* -- will have a Democrat opponent in November.

* - an asterisk designates that the individual received my highest rating for fiscal conservative legislators in 2009.

In Closing

So, there you have it . . . a summary of the interesting races in 2010 as of today, Wednesday, March 10, 2010. As we all know, however, the dynamics of these races could change on a dime in the coming days, weeks, and months.

I’ve always made it clear that I support fiscally conservative candidates. The list above is a summary of “who needs your help” this year. I intend on offering my assistance to any fiscally conservative candidate that is willing to accept my help (regardless of the location of their voting district).

I’ve also made my thoughts regarding the importance of running for public office very clear. Competition and opposition during an election is healthy. It draws attention to the importance of elected office, and it forces our elected officials to defend their territory. I give credit to all of the candidates that have taken the step to run in 2010, and I encourage concerned citizens to get involved in the process. If ANYONE in Mercer County is interested in running as a third party candidate for any of the legislative positions outlined above, feel free to contact me at roberta.in.mercer@gmail.com. I am willing to offer assistance, guidance, and support in your endeavor.


.

Now is the time, Sam is the man, and we are the people!

An 18-year veteran of the PA House of Representatives from Berks County, Honorable Sam Rohrer is above all else, a Christian whose pro-family agenda is capturing great attention, and loads of support among grassroots activists, and many many constitutional conservatives across the state.

A constitutional conservative himself, Sam has spent the last six years attempting to eliminate property taxes altogether, and has garnered the support and endorsement of Pennsylvania Tax Payer's Coalition. Sam's view is that we should not have to pay rent to the Government for property we've purchased in good faith. We are essentially buying our home three and four times over. Sam has fought tirelessly against this, and as Governor, he will make it right.

When it comes to education, Sam believes the ultimate responsibility for our children's education lies with the parent--not Government. One has only to take a look at how our students stack up against other nations, and other states, and it becomes clear Government has not done such a great job.

Sam will seek to bring about educational choice for parents. I had a teacher friend of mine, now a principal, scoff at Sam's educational policy. Despite that my friend is a democrat, he is extremely interested in Sam and the majority of his principles. We talked about Sam's proposal, and he realized that Sam is talking about choice for parents (providing a set of tools), but that what this creates is competition. Competition is good for everything and everyone who truly wants the best. It raises the bar on standards, and no teacher or administrator that takes his or her position to heart need worry in time of higher standards and competition. On the other hand, those that are merely putting in time until pension day kicks in may experience slight anxiety with Sam as Governor.

Sam is unequivocally pro-life, and is truly a man of honor and integrity--well-worth our support. He will bring about the fiscal responsibility our state, which is currently dreadfully insolvent, has lacked for so long. Sam knows we cannot afford more taxes. Sam will cut Government spending instead, by carefully inspecting every state program including welfare and ask simple questions like "what was your original mission and have you strayed from it?" "Do we need this program and this many employees?" "Are we wasting money on this program?" "Where are necessary employees wasting money?" Where our current Governor punts these issues away, Sam will face them head on.

Sam is first and foremost a sound, decent man, who really "gets it." He gets that government has grown large, and arrogant toward us. He knows that with the relationship so severely fractured and abused, politicians must move forward with great care as there is no room for even the slightest breach of trust. Sam will not spend his four years seeking re-election. That's not what he's about. He's passionate, and when elected, Sam will use every second of the time available to him focused on righting what is so wrong in our good state. He is integrity through and through.

Never before has the movement on the ground been so active. Sam has created quite a stir. The GOP, however, has sought to silence the Sam Rohrer movement, and forge ahead with their machine politics.

They would have us believe that Corbett's name recognition is the only chance we have of defeating the democrats in the general election. But the fact is when the underdog, a much lesser known defeats the Attorney General (a self-titled moderate republican) because of a silly little grassroots movement, he'll have plenty of name recognition, publicity and momentum to take with him to the election.

If Scott Brown were running against Corbett, after the attention he gained recently, my money says Scott Brown would have the name recognition and the momentum to defeat Corbett. It was the people of Mass. that elected Scott Brown. Not the machine.

Likewise, we the people believe we have the power to rise above the political machine when we assemble on the ground for what is right and good. Tom Corbett belongs to the machine that supports and endorses him. Sam Rohrer belongs to the people. He owes nothing to the machine. Now is the time, Sam is the man, and we are the people!

Union County Republican Committee Votes To Not Endorse Candidates In Defiance Of PA GOP State Committee

Source Sam Rohrer's Facebook Page:

Billy Allred a member of the Union County Republican Committee is reporting that committee members voted unanimously tonight not to endorse any GOP candidates running in the statewide races during the Primary Election.

This vote is a major victory for GOP candidates Stat Representative Sam Rohrer and Peg Luksik and puts the committee in direct defiance of the State Republican Committee's directive of only allowing the endorsed candidates to attend official committee events.

If you are a local county republican committee member, please contact your county chairman and urge your committee to follow Union County's lead. Join fellow republicans around the state who are calling for an open primary election.

LETS SHOW CHAIRMAN GLEASON AND THE STATE PARTY THAT IT IS TIME TO DO THE RIGHT THING FOR A CHANGE!

UPDATE:

The local GOP county committee revolt continues as I found out today that the Bradford County Republican Committee bucks has voted to buck the state party's endorsement. David Baldinger on Sam Roher's Facebook page is reporting that the Bradford County Republican Committee has voted 19 to 11 against endorsing a GOP candidate in the gubernatorial primary race and 18 to 15 against endorsing a GOP candidate in the US Senate primary race. This is more great news. Once again, I urge other local GOP county committees do the same. A comment today on this blog suggested that the Perry County Republican Committee has done the same.

Read More:

Hey, GOP bosses: We don't need no stinkin' endorsement (PhillyBurbs)

PA GOP Facebook Deletions Continued.....New Strategy To Squash Dissent Is To Insult People

From Vonne Andring, GM of TJ Development Co, & Supporter of Sam Rohrer...

I was at the Mobilize for Liberty event when it was announced that comments referencing the GOP's Corbett endorsement, were deleted on the GOP's Facebook page.

I was incensed! While probably not politically brilliant, I did send message to Glitch and Gleason, received several responses and responded in kind. All thus far, is copied in the thread below:

On Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 2:21 PM, TJDCo wrote:

"the PA GOP cannot support comments that slanderize our process or our candidates"

Mr. Glick when you make reference to "your process," and "your candidates," you show just how far from reality the GOP has strayed. This is not YOUR process, and neither are these YOUR candidates. Both are OURS, and despite the gross liberty the GOP has unilaterally awarded itself, you have no exclusivity toward either.

Vonne Andring, GM
TJ Development Co.
Phone: (412) 527-2759
Fax: (412) 246-7235
Email: tjdvlp@mac.com

On Feb 15, 2010, at 2:41 PM, Michael Glick wrote:

Sir, I work for the Republican Party of Pennsylvania. The Pennsylvania has voted to endorse candidates for US Senate, Governor and Lt. Governor. I will do my job to the best of my ability. While I have many responsibilities as an employee of the PA GOP, the primary mission of this organization is to elect the candidates the State Committee chooses to endorse. I will advise you that the State Committee who has voted to endorse these candidates are also elected officials. They were elected by you. They are your representatives for the Republican Party.

So, I will do my job as well as I possibly can. As I am sure you do the best job you can as the GM for TJ Developement Co. Since you so adamantly believe that State Committee has made the wrong decisions. I encourage you, as a passionate individual, to become involved, run for State Committee if you feel so inclined. I truly hope that your anger over something like a party endorsement (of candidates who I truly believe are unbelievably qualified) does not blind you to the injustices that are being perpetrated in Washington by the extreme liberal agenda of President Obama and Nancy Pelosi.

I hope that we can find common ground instead of just pointing fingers at each other. I believe that we believe in the same core principals. We may simply have different beliefs on the best way to get there. I truly hope those differences can be reconciled.

I stand behind Toomey and Corbett 100%. I believe they are absolutely the best candidates to win in November. The Members of State Committee, your elected representatives, have chosen to stand behind them as well. Thus, I will do my job to the absolute best of my ability to ensure that they are elected. It is not only my job. It is my passionate belief.

Thank you.

J. Michael Glick

On Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 3:55 PM, TJDCo wrote:

Mr. Glick,

I am not a sir, but a woman. I appreciate your response just the same. I do believe the State Committee has made the wrong decision. It has, with its clout, and despite repeated requests from vocal constituents, (a group larger than the committee itself), denied republican voters the right to fair representation, and the process of vetting.

We elected you to represent we the people, not yourselves. You ignored us instead and have effectively committed all that we've given you to further your agenda, and a process so many oppose.

Where there is open, pre-endorsed debate, the people can make sense of your eventual endorsement whether they agree or disagree. Where there is only your endorsement, you are shutting the people out altogether.

And as we voice the opinion we elected you to consider and represent, you erase it. You are shutting out the very people that elected you--erasing us as though we don't exist. It's false representation, an abuse of position, and a misappropriation of resources. Not only do you refuse to represent us, you stand in the way of letting us represent ourselves on a platform that belongs to us. Shame on you all.

As you ignore, and delete the will of the people, you grow and strengthen the resolve of the effort unfolding on the ground.

I don't know if a run for State Committee is the best route, but I will surely move forward with my focus trained on the goal, and will seek the best way to accomplish it. You can be sure of that.

Regards,

Vonne Andring, GM
TJ Development Co.
Phone: (412) 527-2759
Fax: (412) 246-7235
Email: tjdvlp@mac.com

On Feb 15, 2010, at 4:12 PM, Michael Glick wrote:

Apologies Mam.

As I said, you are not speaking to an elected official. You are speaking to an employee, who is hired by your elected officials. I am paid to do a job. And I will do this job to the best of my ability. I work for people like yourself, indirectly, as I work directly for the Republican representatives whom you and your Republican friends have elected.

I wish that you would not simply discount the decision of the committee as irrelevent, simply because you do not support it. If you do not like the way the people you elected have voted, I advise you to vote in a different direction this May. That is your right as a Republican. It is also your right as a Republican to vote for an alternative candidate in the primary. It is also your right as a citizen to volunteer as you see fit to defend the candidates you support.

As I said, I think anger and finger pointing within the Republican Party will only lead to a division of resources that could otherwise be used to defeat the real threat, President Obama's euro-socialist agenda. I do not have a doubt in my mind that the candidates who were endorsed by the party are absolutely the best route we can take to help defeat this threat. I know what I am doing and the principals I am fighting for is the right thing to do.

As an employee and a true believer, I will do all that I can to defeat this threat. I hope that you will do the same without resorting to smearing your fellow Republicans, like myself, or your competing Republican candidates, like Corbett or Toomey. I believe that is wrong and self defeating. For after the May primaries there will be one candidate for Governor and one candidate for Senate. Whoever is elected, at that time, I hope that we can put aside our differences and truly fight for what is right.

On Feb 15, 2010, at 4:32 PM, TJ Development wrote:

Mr. Glick,

I discount the decision of the committee, not because I don't support it, which I don't, but instead on the grounds that it excluded the people. You are assigning anger to me but what I feel is not anger. I feel resolve. I know my rights, and I, along with many, will assert them.

No one has smeared or slandered the GOP. We have questioned the practice and the process of excluding voters. Rather than address the remarks, you deleted them. If handled appropriately, such a challenge would give the GOP the opportunity to strengthen it's position. Instead, it has chosen to further alienate us. You erase our remarks because they offer a view that is different than your own, and you talk of self-defeating behaviors?

It is not our actions, our anger, nor any finger pointing that will divide the party, but instead it is the the GOP that will divide and damage the party by shutting out those who people the party.

Vonne Andring, GM
TJ Development Co.
Phone: (412) 527-2759
Fax: (412) 246-7235
Email: tjdvlp@mac.com

On Feb 15, 2010, at 4:40 PM, Michael Glick wrote:

I am glad that you have the passion and resolve to exercize your rights in the greatest Democracy in the world.

In regards to you attacking me for deleting facebook posts, I discount your argument that I am alienating Republicans by deleting posts. I am doing my job, as I have tried to explain to you. My job is to support the Committee in the decisions that they make.

They have chosen to endorse specific candidtes. So, when you ask me to allow people to make posts intended to degrade the respect that many PA voters feel for these candidates, you ask me to ignore my responsibilities. I will not do that. I will do my job.

I will do everything in my power to encourage the voters of PA to support the candidates that the Committee has endorsed. I will do so because it is my job and my belief. And while I am doing so, I will not go onto your facebook page or your companies facebook page and post derogatory things about yourself or your company. If I did so, I'd expect you would delete them as well, as a rational human being would do.

So, do not attack me for doing my job. I have no respect for that kind of attack. I will do my job and I will do it well. As a business person, I would think you could understand that.

On Mon, Feb 15, 2010 at 5:02 PM, TJDCo wrote:

Mr. Glick,

You confuse debate with attack. You confuse question and opinion with anger and slander. Were you not so confused you might see that you represent all the people of the party, not just those that agree with you. Has the committee instructed that you blackball differing opinions? Is this in your job description?

It is not ok, under any circumstances, and certainly not in this country, for an employee to delete the will of those who fund his salary. You are all running amuck.

Kindly,

Vonne Andring, GM
TJ Development Co.
Phone: (412) 527-2759
Fax: (412) 246-7235
Email: tjdvlp@mac.com

On Feb 15, 2010, at 5:22 PM, Michael Glick wrote:

I am done discussing this with you. You have not addressed one of the points that I have brought up. You are not debating anything. You are simply pointing fingers and blaming everyone else for what is wrong.

As I said, in a very positive manner, I am happy you are now fighting for what you believe is right. I hope that you will continue to do so all the way through November and beyond. I will not say anything negative about yourself or your likeminded friends.

Should you have taken an interest in this debate before it became a popular topic, you would have noticed that prior to endorsement. All opinions were welcome. There was no deletion of any post that discussed open primaries or the various candidates. However, note that if a comment was posted that said, ANYTHING, negative about a candidate, it was deleted. Now that the committee has made a decision. The only posts that many people want to post are negative. They attack the candidates and the Party. So, keeping with the policy of deleting negative posts, I will delete all posts that are negative. Does that make sense to you, Vonne?

I will continue to do my job, promoting the candidates whom the Committee has endorsed. I hope that you will be able to put aside your bitterness towards the party as we approach the November elections. We look forward to working with you and ensuring victory in 2010.

Thank you and I hope you enjoy your Monday evening.

Editor's Note: First off let me thank Vonne Andring for post this thread on PennPatriot Blog. Since my original post many republicans have voiced their concerns and shared their outrage at the committee's position on this matter.

This post has to be the most hilarious thing I have ever read on a political blog. Mr. Glick is the gift that keeps on giving. Where does Mr. Gleason find these party hacks at the PA GOP anyway? No doubt Mr. Glick is a legacy of some finagled political connection some how.

Endorsement

Why endorse? These are the answers I got from the State Committee and the County chairmen:
If we do not endorse, why bother having a state committee?
I worked hard, and deserve to choose the candidate.
These committee folks were elected by the local citizens.
The citizens of the Commonwealth are not smart enough to make the decision. We need to help them.

True, we did elect them. True, in the past, we were too trusting, allowing them to give us such foxes as Gov Spendell and Sen Specter.

I think we could have done better if we had randomly chosen from the phone book. The Republican/Democrat habit of endorsement has given us the mess we are in. If you like the way your elected employees are running the government, vote for another candidate endorsed by the Republocrat Machine.

If not, look at the Rohrer for Governor, and Luksik for Senator. Two God fearing leaders who have been fighting the Machine (in both the Democrat and Republican flavors) for the last two decades.

You own a business, called government. Your children need you to manage it. If you lack understanding, ask God to lead you, and visit the www.pfa-pa.org web site.

Don’t ‘Leave’ It To Washington

Guest Column By Peg Luksik

Hello, Mrs. Cleaver.

In the 1950’s, Beaver Cleaver and his family were invited into our homes every week. We met Ward and June Cleaver, parents who seemed to have all the answers. We met Wally, the older brother who had a heart of gold. We met “The Beav,” whose minor misadventures were always resolved by the end of the program.

And we met Eddie Haskell, the friend who had a crocodile smile and a crocodile heart. Mr. Haskell was not an idealized character. In fact, his insincerity caused many of the problems that the show’s other characters dealt with.

Mr. Haskell would have fit right in with many members of the Washington establishment. They say one thing in their home districts and do the opposite inside the Washington beltway. And, for over thirty years, they have gotten re-elected despite their duplicity.

Their behavior is their fault. The fact that they have gotten away with it is our fault.

This year, the mood has changed. Citizens are angry with the establishment and looking for new faces. And many new candidates are stepping forward to capitalize on this development.

We need to be as careful of the new candidates as we should have been of the old incumbents. It’s easy to claim to be a conservative. But saying the word “conservative” doesn’t mean that the person actually IS one.

So, we need to ask good questions and check the answers we get. We need to know what the candidate has done to prove that his conservative credentials actually exist.

We don’t need those who see this year as an opportunity to add the title “Congressman” or “Senator” to their resumes. We will be able to spot these folks by the fact that they have never lifted a finger to help a conservative organization or candidate before, but all of a sudden they “care deeply” about the state of our nation and want to be elected to do something about it. The obvious question is, “Why didn’t they care a year ago?”

We don’t need those who have a track record that disagrees with their current statements. We will be able to spot these folks only by taking the time to dig through their public record. That will take work and they are counting on the fact that we are still not motivated enough to check out what they are saying.

These folks are the next generation of Eddie Haskells, and they are just as dangerous as their predecessors.

We don’t need those who proudly proclaim that they have no idea whatsoever about how the political process works. They will be stepping into an arena where every other person does know how that process works, so they will either accomplish nothing or do real harm through their lack of knowledge.

Our Founding Fathers combined practical political know-how with principled action — we need to do the same. We wouldn’t get our teeth pulled by someone who told us that he was not a dentist, and we certainly shouldn’t entrust our government to someone who tells us that they do not know how government is supposed to work either.

The reality is that the Eddie Haskells of politics will always be with us. So, we need to be as wise as Ward Cleaver in uncovering their insincerity and keep them from places where they can do harm.

Peg Luksik is a wife and mother of six. She has been working on education and family issues at the state and federal levels for more than two decades.

Peg Luksik is a conservative activist in Pennsylvania who ran for Governor three times in the 90’s, and who is seeking the GOP nomination for the open US Senate seat in Pennsylvania against front runner Pat Toomey. For more information about her campaign please visit http://www.pegluksik.com/

Peg Luksik: The Best Candidate Running for the U.S. Senate!

Peg Luksik showed why she is the best candidate running for the U.S. Senate when she gave an impressive speech before the Blair County Republican Women and guests Thursday, January 14th at the Duncansville Hoss's.

She is running a campaign in the Republican primary against Pat Toomey. It is clear why Peg far exceeds the low expectations of her critics when you hear her speak. She is a dynamic speaker, very knowledgeable about the current issues at hand. Peg speaks with a clear and passionate social and fiscal conservative viewpoint that is extremely refreshing particularly because she speaks with a candor that is not very common among politicians these days.

Peg is prolife and "believes in the sanctity of every human life from conception until natural death" (source:www.pegluksik.com/issues). She also "opposes any health care "reform" that results in rationed care for seniors, the disabled and any other group of citizens" (Source:www.pegluksik.com/issues). For more info about Peg Luksik and her views please check her website at http://www.pegluksik.com/.

When you vote in this primary, don't count Peg Luksik out just because people think she can't win. Peg has an uncanny way of proving the critics and pundits wrong by making impressive showings just as she did when in the 1990 governor's race she won 46% of the vote in the Republican Primary spending $45,000 on her campaign. Peg can win this primary and also the general election if everybody votes for who is the best candidate and not the one predicted to be the winner.